1. Technical Field
The apparatus and method of the present invention relate generally to the automatic recording of telephone call details. More specifically, they relate to an apparatus and method of providing an automatic printout of call data including parameters such as the date, time, and duration of a call, number dialed (outgoing calls), calling number (incoming calls) and, optional account number enabling the identification of call (i.e. business/personal). Each call comprises a "record", each record having call data or parameters associated therewith. The apparatus is envisioned to be of primary use in the home or small business but may be used anywhere access to the telephone line is available.
With the increasing popularity of home offices, there is an increasing use of the home phone for business. It is important for home workers to properly document their phone usage for accounting purposes. This is especially true concerning outgoing, long distance, business calls, where an expense deduction may be in order, and with respect to both incoming and outgoing when the individual bills for time spent on the phone, e.g. lawyers etc.
As mentioned, many of these home workers utilize their home telephone for business. Even in those cases where a separate number is used for business, this is frequently done on a single line, using what the telephone company calls "distinctive ringing." This refers to the feature where calls coming into the residence on the different numbers will ring differently, even though it is the same physical line. Thus, this feature allows the listener to distinguish incoming business calls from incoming personal calls--based on the type of the ring. Presently, up to four alternate numbers/ringing patterns can be utilized on a single phone line.
As mentioned, one significant limitation to this technique is that only one physical phone line is used. All outgoing long distance phone calls are billed to the primary number. Thus, the telephone bill provides no means of distinguishing between business and personal long distance calls. Heretofore, it was common for the worker to account for each call using pencil and paper to record the date, time, and number called with respect to the business calls, so that business calls could be reconciled later with the telephone bill. Clearly this is a time consuming annoyance. Even more important, the misidentification of a call may result in lost billing opportunities or expense deductions.
The present invention is designed to automatically monitor the telephone line and to record and printout various call parameters in order to automate this call tracking and identification function. In the preferred embodiments, these printouts may be accomplished either in "real time" as the call is terminated, or upon user command at some later time. For outgoing calls, the preferred call record would include call start and end times, the number dialed and the duration. For incoming calls, the start and end time, and duration of the call are recorded and printed. It may also identify the "line" i.e. the number/distinctive ring on which the call came in.
For both the incoming and outgoing calls, the system may keep track of an optional "account number" which can be used to identify the call with a specific project, client or the like. The account number may be entered anytime during the call, presumably after the conversation is ended, but at any rate, before hanging-up the handset. On outgoing calls, the account number could also be entered immediately after dialing the number but before the called party answers. The account number may be entered on the telephone set just like dialing a number except that a "*" or "#" would be entered first. In the preferred embodiments, the software is coded to treat the entry of a nonstandard key such as "*" or "#" as the precursor of the account number.
With respect to the incoming calls, the system may also include a caller identification feature and, the system will record and printout the caller's identification. This service from the telephone company is commonly referred to as "caller ID."
As is well understood in the art, the telephone companies have been offering a service referred to as "caller ID" in various parts of the country, since the early 1990s. This service allows subscribers to receive information on incoming calls. Such information comprises the caller's telephone number and identity.
Finally, the system may include a storage feature wherein call information may be stored for a period of time and then printed out upon demand. Such a storage printout may be formatted to accomplish a specific objective, such as printing out call data organized by account number or the like. In the design of the preferred embodiment, the microcontroller contains internal RAM capable of call record storage. Additional storage capacity may be achieved using external RAM.
A major consideration with respect to the connection of equipment to the telephone lines. Specifically, compliance with FCC regulations, specifically part 68 which requires among other things, good line balance, low insertion loss, and light line loading.
Throughout the specification, the following terms and their definitions will be used. "Parameters" includes the call data which is gathered, stored and printed for each call. The parameters gathered depend on the nature of the call i.e. incoming or outgoing. A "call record" is a set of parameters which have been gathered & stored for a call.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The concept of telephone usage monitoring is not new. Several prior art devices have disclosed apparatus for monitoring the telephone line and the recording of various parameters.
One such example is the inventor's own prior art apparatus designated the "TEQ1000." This apparatus monitored up to ten telephone lines recording such parameters as the time and duration of a call and the number dialed, in the case of outgoing calls. A similar but smaller model "TEQ 100" monitored a single line. The apparatus printed out the call parameters at the termination of the call. Additionally, the calls were stored in memory (RAM), permitting the calls to be printed out at a later time, in what was referred to as an "accounting printout" wherein the calls were grouped by an account number. The design of the system permitted a user to enter an "account code" sometime during the course of each call, thereby assigning that call an account code. Later, when the accounting printout was triggered, the system searched through RAM grouping all calls with the same account code. With respect to incoming calls, the only parameters which could be monitored were the time and duration of the call and only if the call were answered. Neither unit provided any means for acquiring and processing "caller ID" data. The user could enter an account code to track the call.
Another, more recent apparatus is disclosed by Hunsicker in U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,657. This apparatus functions in a manner similar to the TEQ100. The time and duration of the calls are monitored as well as the number dialed for outgoing calls. With respect to incoming calls, the Hunsicker apparatus detects the number of rings. The call data is then printed out or displayed. With respect to incoming calls, it appears that a record is printed regardless of whether the call was answered or not. Additionally, both the incoming and outgoing segments of the system utilize a voice detector to ascertain when the call begins.
Consequently, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a telephone monitoring apparatus capable of monitoring both incoming as well as outgoing calls.
Another primary objective is to provide a telephone monitoring apparatus wherein various call parameters such as number dialed, start and end times, duration, account numbers, incoming call data and the like, may be printed out.
An additional objective is to build telephone monitoring apparatus wherein the call parameters may be temporarily stored in memory for later grouping and printout according to an assigned account number.